


transference

by akadai



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Warframe
Genre: Abandonment, Being Lost, Child!Reader - Freeform, Childhood Trauma, Crying, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Grandpa Coran to the Rescue, Hunk (Voltron) is a Ray of Sunshine, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance is a Big Brother, Nightmares, Pidge | Katie Holt is Savage, Smart Kid, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Space Mom Allura (Voltron), Team as Family, except lance, no one knows how to raise a child, reader is a tenno, voltron basically adopts a child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2020-05-14 14:02:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19274800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akadai/pseuds/akadai
Summary: the voltron crew discovers a lost child in space. only, she doesn't belong the this universe, and is much more than meets the eye.[this is a warframe x voltron crossover]





	1. prologue

_Lost, nowhere to go._

_Just like the Void, makes me crazy._

_Where is she?_

_Where is mother?_

_Why..._  
  
  
  


Allura sighed, walking back to the control room. It was sleep hours in the castle, and they decided to stay in a nearby planet hidden from Galra radar. However, the planet is left with no survivors, only broken remains of the once beautiful planet. They decided to stay here to gather resources or intel, whatever they could get by.

She cannot go to sleep. Her dreams were always the same. Her planet destroyed, losing her father, and the possibility of losing to the Galra. It almost drove the princess crazy, but she didn't want to show that she's sleep deprived to the paladins.

Suddenly, a screen appeared, showing a mark in its radar. Allura's eyes widened. There's something that the castle has scanned, and it's showing the lifeforce of the sighting. Not bothering to wake up any of the paladins(they deserved it after a long day), she leaves the room to investigate.

It's showing that something was in front of the castle, but stopped. Allura thinks that maybe it passed out. She runs outside, crossing the bridge until she reaches the end of it.

' _There's someone that still survived!'_

Only, it wasn't something she expected.

She gasped.

_I want her back..._

_I'm scared, it's cold and lonely..._

_Lotus...come back..._

A human child?

Allura crouched down. She checks if the child still has any pulse, her fingers pressing on the side of her neck. She sighs in relief. The child is unconcious, but she's still breathing normally. However, she is still shivering in the cold.

'Poor child...I must bring her back the castle and inform the others tomorrow." Allura thinks.

She carries the child back to castle, making sure to wrap a blanket around her that Allura brought outside. This planet happens to have a harsh cold weather.

"Do not fear, you are safe now." Allura whispers, the door behind her closing.


	2. home

Allura watched over the child's body in the healing pod. Her hands are clasped together in anticipation. She can't help but wonder of her origin. What is a human child doing in a desecrated planet like this? And where are her parents.

As she looks at the child, she is not older than Pidge, but she looks to be at least eleven years old. Her (h/s) hair is messy, and her (s/c) is riddled with dirt. However, a unique part of her is the black markings on her right eye. They cover part of her face, strange black linings that are lined to her cheek and surround her eye.

The princess assumed that maybe those were burnt marks. But it doesn't seem to look like a scar, and burnt marks usually go red after a few weeks. The child is wearing a black and grey suit that fitted her perfectly.

The more she looks at this child, the more she grew curious. What happened to her? She looked...lost.

Allura was snapped out of her thoughts when a male voice called after her.

"Princess! There you are! I assume that we are leaving quite early because there is nothing left we could find." Coran entered the room, walking next to the princess, "So are we ready to go?"

Allura shook her head, "Coran, there is something that we found."

Coran raised his eyebrow in confusion. Surely, the princess is not joking. She was frowning and her worried eyes are looking up to something. He followed her gaze.

His eyes widened.

"Holy quiznak!" Coran shouted in surprise, "A child! How did she get in here?"

Allura tore her gaze from the child, "I picked up a radar and saw this little girl in front of the castle. She seems...lost and she must've passed out on the way here."

Coran still couldn't tear his gaze. Her ears have the same features as paladin, but those markings do not look... _human_. Her hair also has faded (f/c) on her tips.

"I don't get it, how could she have appeared in this desolate place?"

"I wish I knew too, Coran."

  
  
  
  
  


_"These are just children."_

_A voice spoke out in the room. I sit on the floor, marvelling on the creations they made. They're so refined and pristine, just like them._

_"They are, but then they want these poor little ones gone..."_

_I was just a child, but I understand. We are refugees, but they don't understand._

_"I...can't let them go."_

_"You've soften up to them, Margulis."_

_I looked up to the woman. She was talking to someone, but the vision is blurry. She looks down at me._

_Her gaze hypnotizes me. She made me believe a lot of things. She looks at me like I was hers. But in truth, she looks at me like how she looks at other kids._

_"I know what to do now."_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

"So, you're telling us you found her outside?"

The paladins were shocked that the princess was able to make a discovery. Something about her wants the child to wake up, but part of her wants the child to rest.

She sighs. It's been almost three hours, and everytime she comes back the pods, her vitals aren't still improving. Allura decided to show her to the paladins, to not raise suspicions of her troubled mind.

Shiro was scratching the back of his neck. He didn't know what to do in this situation. No one knew where this child come from. She came to them, and it's a wonder that they haven't found her yesterday. Still, he feels unusual with the markings on her face.

"So, are we not gonna talk about what she might be?" he heard Hunk speak.

Lance shrugged, "I don't know, man. She doesn't anything alien-like."

Shiro looks closer to the pod. "True. She looks...human."

"But those marks..." Pidge addressed the black marks on her face, "And her hair...does a human have that?"

"I don't know, Pidge. But I think she's closer at being a human." Shiro sighed.

So much mystery is circulating with the girl.

"How in the world is she able to survive the condition of this planet?" Keith muttered. He crossed his arms, his eyebrows furrowed as he thinks deeply.

Lance looked at Keith, "Might be a ship crashing!"

But the boy shook his head, "Impossible, that would've mean there would be more survivors."

A tick mark appeared in Lance's forehead, "What do you know, mullet? She's probably the only one that survived!"

"That's a too convenient thinking, Lance!" Keith grumbled.

"It's true though, we haven't see any crashed ships yesterday." Pidge pointed out. At this, Lance sighed.

But when he stares at the child, it gave him a single thought. ' _did she have anyone after she got here'_

"I guess at these times, it's not unusual to see a lost child, with the galra conquering planets and all." Coran says somberly.

The paladins looked down. It is somehow true. Everything is in chaos. The whole galazy sacrificed a lot because all the Galra did is to take and take. It didn't comfort them, however.

A sizzling caught all of their attention. The hatch opened, and the girl collapsed down the floor. Shiro hurriedly catches the child in his arms. He cradles her fragile body carefully.

 

 

 

(Y/N) slowly blinked her eyes, still adjusting to the sudden light she was introduced to. She whimpered. Even though having slept the whole night, she still felt tired.

"It's okay." a voice called to her. It was a comforting man's voice. It sounded as if she was back to the Earth's grove, when she would listen to the waterfalls whenever she had the chance.

Her vision cleared out, and she stares at a man's face. He has a scar over his nosebridge, and his dark eyes gaze at her with concern. His eyes brightened, "She's awake!"

The other voices around her is still blurry, but it still scared her. Her eyes widened, and she tried pushing away from the man.

"N-No!" (Y/N) cowered away, trying to get away from the other voices.

The man, shocked with her reactions, tried to calm her down. His arms are slightly raised, trying to grasp her, but not directly touch her.

"It's okay! We are not here to hurt you." he cooed slightly.

Still, (Y/N) shook her head, "W-where is my orbiter? W-where's my warframe? Where is Mag?!?!?"

A woman comes to her view. She wore a blue dress and had a long, wavy hair. Her blue eyes are widened in concern, "We do not know what you are talking about, but we will not cause you any harm."

(Y/N) froze. The more she looks at the woman, the more her memories come back to her. She shook her head to forget.

's _he's not coming back for us!_ '

' _don't even think about false hope!'_

Still, the tanned woman walked up to her and crouched in front of her. She gave war smile. A smile familiar, yet faded through her broken memories. It reminded her of what a maternal figure is. It reminded her of home.

' _home is where the family is_ '

"You are okay," the lady whispers. Her voice is laced with sweetness. Something she forgot a long time ago, when the world was starting to absolutely make sense, "You are safe, with us."

Everyhing was too overwhelming to her. Her head started to ache, and her vision become blurry. Everything is spinning. She looks at the lady one last time, before passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a new chapter! The memories will be pretty confusing, but if u do kno the warframe lore, you will get wat i mean. However, you dont rly have to kno a lot abt the lore, cuz it will be explained soon


	3. awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1393 words

The girl's outburst shocked all of them. No one expected her to react so frightened. All of a sudden, she screams. It broke their hearts, knowing that she went through a lot. Her scared face, and the way she shivers so bad in her place.

Fear took over her. She didn't know how to handle that fear, so she let it consume her being.

Allura has the girl's head cradled in her lap, brushing the strands of (h/c). She thought that the (f/c) on her tips are beautiful. It suits her a lot. But her features still hold a sign of despair. She frowned sadly. She couldn't understand why the girl froze when she approached her. It's like she calmed down for a second, but it overwhelmed her so much, she passed out.

Allura looks at Coran, "We must take her to the sleeping quarters. It's best that she must be left alone."

He nodded. He gazes at the little one when he carried her bridal style. It pained him, to see someone cry out in intense fear. War is such a cruel thing for a child to see.

When Coran left the room, the tense atmosphere starts to slowly go away as the paladins finally got back to their senses.

"That's...so sad," Hunk mutters, still in disbelief.

While it's not the first time he saw a young girl crying, this was different. She was younger that Pidge, but it's as if she was reverted back into a small child. Curling up to herself, hoping adult she knows will come and save her. She probably yearns for a said adult to kiss her forehead and tell her everything is alright.

Keith bellowed" Sad? She probably experienced worst than that!"

Before everything got intense, Shiro placed a hand in his shoulder. He shakes his head to Keith, "Stop. We don't need to argue with each other. We must find a way to deal with her."

Allura stands up from her kneeling position. She still couldn't relieve herself from the way the child looked at her. Her hands are tightened to each other, hoping to calm her nerves.

She would rather ask questions later, anyways.

"We must let her rest some more. Being in this planet for so long must've taken a toll on her." Allura tried to speak in a straight manner. She hoped no one could hear her voice crack.

"Princess." Shiro was the one to speak out to her, "What does she mean? What is a _warframe_?"

But even Allura cannot answer the question. Never in her whole life did she hear such a thing. A _warframe_? What is it, and why would a young girl even own such a thing? She sighs, rubbing her forehead, then looks back at the paladin.

"We have no choice but to wait until she wakes up. For now, we must return to our duties to leave this planet."

All of the paladins, while still disheartened, nodded.  
  
  
  


 

 

(Y/N) thought that she was lost in space.

Everything is so vast and big for her personal taste. She lost everything in a fell swoop. She cannot even feel her abilities. The only thing surrounding her is black. All is nothingness

Just like the Void. But unlike the Void, she prefers the safer place of the dark.

Again, she awakens. This time, she's alone in a light room. All the colors blinded her. She was never used with such colors. She was lying on a bed, a thick blanket covering her. She rubbed her eyes.

"So nice, so comfy..." she whispers. It's been forever since she did lay on a comfy...comforter. She rubs her face on the pillow, hoping no one would come and take her precious time bonding with the object.

It took about half an hour when the door opened. The girl cracked one eye open, and she was surprised to see a different person. A male stands on the door. He is dark-skinned and he has chocolate brown hair. His dark blue orbs lit up when he saw her awake.

"Hello, young beauty! How is your sleep?" the male walks up to her, smiling brightly.

(Y/N) only stared at him in silence. She still lays on her bed, still motionless.

"Can you sit up? You're not too hurt are you?"

She complies, which made him grin even wider.

Lance takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He is careful to not startle the girl, so he put a space between them.

"I'm sure you're wondering, but you can trust us." He chuckles. It'll take him time for this girl to warm up to him and the others, but maybe he can have a head start.

His grin softened when (Y/N) tilted her head. Her innocence still wonders him. But behind that innocence, there are hardened warrior inside. But even the most powerful warrior can be broken.

Lance widened his eyes in realization, "You know, you never told us your name."

But she only looked away. Her eyes are downcast, and she fidgets her fingers.

"Well then, I'll go first. I'm Lance, and I am the handsome pilot of the Blue Lion."

(Y/N) looked up.

' _Blue lion? How do you pilot a lion? And what is a 'lion''_

"...lion?" she questions softly. This caused Lance to drop, his face morphing into confusion.

"You know, big robot lions that turn into this mega robo dude called Voltron and does whapak-! and blam-blam-!" Lance tried to explain, his arms also doing weird gestures, "We are defenders of the universe!"

"Defenders of the universe..." (Y/N) mutters bitterly, "The only thing you could save the universe is from itself..."

Lance stopped. He was shocked. How can she even make such a statement? Futhermore, she was not blaming the Galra for what happened.

"Kid, do you...know what Voltron is?" Lance asked, still flabbergasted.

Alas, she shook her head, "...no clue...and what is a lion?"

This made him quiet. He can understand her limited knowledge of what Voltron is, but do not even have a single clue what a lion is?

For now, he tried to lighten up the mood, "So um, I'm waiting for your name..."

(Y/N) snapped up, her eyes widened. She can't believe she was being rude to these nice people. After all, they haven't done anything to hurt her. It's natural to give her name to them, right?

"...(Y/N)."

Lance smiled, "Well, little lady. I think you should prepare for a little something later."

She watches as the male stands up. He goes to the door. Before he opens the door, he looks back at her.

"Everyone wants to know about you, you know? Keep that in mine." and he leaves.

(Y/N) sighs. Of course, they would likely be asking questions. But after healing her and making her rest, it's natural that she offers her answers to them.

However, she won't give them the satisfaction of telling them _everything_ that she knows. It's not like they would know what she's even talking about.

She lays back on her bed, her eyes trailing up to the ceiling.

What now?  
  
  
  
  
  


 

* * *

 

_Black helm and golden linings. She knows that the machine is not just a machine. She preferred more than the interaction of other species. She marveled on the silence that this robot offers. It was something that she needed._

_His hand, he pats it on her head. On his right, is a sword sheathed on his right. She is not afraid, for she trusts this machine more than she trusts her own mother._

_"You are not just a machine."_

_When she looks up at him, she sees the pain in this man...machine. He was once like the others before him. A soldier, one of the best. He was loved by many, and everyone looked up to him. His past loyalty to his masters were strong, and they commend him for that. Not knowing that said masters was his downfall._

_Once a man, now a machine. But she didn't care. He fills the empty void in her heart. She longed for something, stronger than the Void itself. A family._

_Both parties, losing the one thing that cannot be compared to the others. So they turn to each other, hoping to fill that void._


	4. abstruse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1046 words

The day was slow for the paladins. Everyone is still anticipating for the young girl to wake up.

 

When Lance left her, he can't shake off the uneasy feeling in his chest. This is something that must address to the paladins, especially Allura. He observed how deep her concern is for (Y/N), and she doesn't even know her fully. Sometimes, even the princess is soft-hearted for her own good. All Lance wanted to do is to think about why she never mentioned anything about the Galra. Surely, they destroyed the planet, because no one in the universe other than them is responsible for the destruction of many species.

 

Lance shook his head, " _Calm down, stop jumping in conclusions. She probably doesn't want to mention those quiznaks_." 

 

The only thing that he can possibly do is to report back to the other. He hoped they know what to do.

 

Allura wasn't too sure if she's close within the answers to her questions. After hearing the word _warframe_ from the girl, she decided to look for anything even remotely close to it. So far, she has found none. She groaned, drained yet still haven't found anything useful.

 

She sighs, going to another book. This is going to be a long day.

 

The door opened. Shiro looked at Allura, his face turning into a frown. He didn't think that she would be too invested in searching for answers. He shook his head and sits next to the princess. She looked at the man seated next to her, startled due to her dire focus. She sighs in relief, thankful that it was just him.

 

"You've been like this for the whole day." Shiro gazes at the stack of books next to her.

 

Allura follows his gaze and nods, "I have to find out what she's talking about. There has to be something, Shiro, otherwise, I don't know what to answer her."

 

Shiro chuckles dryly. He also wanted to tell the girl that she's fine now and no one is going to hurt her, but with the war going on, he doesn't know if he could tell her that all is well. Obviously, nothing is okay.

 

"I wondered what she saw in me, Shiro." Shiro looks back at the princess. He didn't expect her to speak out so suddenly.

 

"She kept screaming, but when she looked at me, it's like she...got this sense of familiarity in her eyes." Allura scrunched up her nose, "She must be longing...for something."

 

Shiro nods in understanding. He did notice it too. When the girl saw him, she went hysteria. But when it comes to the princess, she stopped. There must be something that she sees in the princess that she only knows. But they wouldn't know until she speaks to them.  
  
  
  
  


 

It wasn't necessary for (Y/N) to go out of her room since they weren't forcing her to do so. But she didn't want to overstay her welcome. One way or another, she needs to find her frame. The hallways of the castle were empty, which she finds extremely odd. Usually big places like these are brimming with people who would mind their own businesses, but instead, it is the opposite. Her footsteps echo.

 

Silence has always comforted her. Whether it be while traveling the solar system or just meditating on a dojo, she always felt welcome. The feeling of loneliness is not something to be ashamed with. But her unfamiliarity with the castle got her lost at some point. However, she needs to know where she is and what happened during that.

 

Walking for minutes got her into what seemed to be the main console room of the castle. She raised her eyebrows. Why a castle needed a control room that would've resembled a ship, she would never know. But it wasn't in her heart to question them. After all, she should be thankful that they helped her when she was lost.

 

The only one there is a man who wears blue, posh clothing that looks a lot like royalty. He has orange hair, but she couldn't get a look on his face because he was facing away to her. She noticed the pointed ears that he has, but that doesn't surprise her anymore. Nothing else does anymore, really. He noticed another person's arrival, so he turns around. His eyes widened.

 

Coran didn't expect the girl to be up and leave her room so suddenly. He coughed on his fist and fixes his collar, "I am glad to see that you're well, missy. I am Coran, the royal advisor at your service. Are you perhaps hungry?"

  
But she only shook her head, "I need to know what happened when I first passed out."

Coran raised his eyebrows, but that didn't stop him to answer her question, "I believe you were found by Princess Allura outside the castle, missy."

' _So her name is Allura...and she's a princess._ ' (Y/N) thought.

 

"I...I am (Y/N)." she started to introduce herself, "I'd like to thank you for saving my life..."

Coran smiled cheekily, "Ah, you got nothing to worry about, kiddo. That is our job, to protect the universe!"

But (Y/N) tilted her head. Why would the universe needed to be s

* * *

* * *

aved, and not by itself? Sure, her purpose was to protect those that needed her. But other than that, all Tenno are free to do what they wish, so long as they do not fall to the enemy's clutches or maybe fail the mission.  


However, their freedom increased ten-fold when their matron left.

"Excuse me, sir...but who is it that made you protect the universe?"

Coran, with his face tilting in confusion, answered back, "Are you not aware of the war going on? You were at a planet that the Galra destroyed a few vargas."

She only shook her head, "No, I don't remember being in that planet, nor living there. I must've crashed..."

He walks to her and rubs his mustache, "Strange. Are you not captured by the galra before?"

"No, no!" she denies, "I don't even know who these 'galra' people you're talking about.

Coran needed to speak to everyone about this, including the girl. Otherwise, a lot of misunderstanding will be heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Slowly, I will reveal reader's past. Btw there are many tenno that have waken up after second dream.


	5. log 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 314 words

_Chaos. The sounds of shrill screaming and crying. Panic filled the air. Everything is in chaos. The only thing I see is red. My ears kept ringing to the irritating sounds. Sounds of low groani_ _ng, but I cannot hear them clearly due to the screams. I covered my ears. I'm in the corner, curled up, hoping none of the feral adults were to find me. Hiding is the only option I have, as the other children probably found a way to escape, rather to save themselves. But please, for the love of the Void..._

_Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me. Save me--_

_"(Y/N)!"_

_I lifted me head up quickly. I know that voice. How is he still here? Why did he come back?_

_"(Y/N)!"_

_"I..I am here!"_

_A boy emerged from the rubble, following my voice. When he turns to my form, he sighs in relief and runs to me. He crouches to cups both my cheeks._

_"I found you. Good." he whispers, "We must leave now!"_

_I nodded, but stopped. He...he's covered in blood. My eyes widened._

_He noticed my expression, so he shook his head, "This blood...this isn't mine."_

_"W-What did you do?!!"_

_"Come on, (Y/N)!! There's no time! They will catch up to us if we didn't make it!"_   
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

_"Sister, there's no need to be afraid._ _These people, they will protect us."_

_"But what if they don't? What if they turn their backs on us, just like how mommy and daddy did?"_

_"Then we will protect each other, just like how we did before."_   
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

_"This is your warframe. Mag. This warframe is an expert in enemy manipulation. Magnetic energy is in your control. Let it be released to those that will hinder you from your path."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This will be chapters that will reveal parts of your past without actually being revealed in the story. These are just short chapters that will probably be less than 500 words.
> 
> (Also, disclaimer, if you play warframe and you don't like Mag, please do let me know. I considered Nova to be the warframe of choice, but I chose Mag cuz starter huehue)


	6. war within

I was skittish the whole time. Coran stares me as if I haven't seen everything. We were waiting in anticipation for the 'paladins' and the princess to arrive. This means I will get to meet more people. This means I will have a lot to explain to these people. They don't need questions from me, but answers. As much I'd like to get answers from them, it's quite impossible.

Why me, an outsider, have anything to answer to them? I've lost my ship, and my warframe is nowhere to be seen. Oh boy, this will be a long day ahead of me.

They're not harmful people, right? They won't attack at the sight of me, right? Of course, they won't. I mean, they would've attacked me earlier when I was vulnerable, but they healed me and took me to rest. That would probably mean they won't do anything to hurt me--

"I'm telling you guys! She's okay! She-" the voice of Lance caught my attention. Technically, he was the first one that I properly talked to. So far, he's a talkative guy, but I cannot say the same for the others. Five bodies emerged from the big entrance. Some of them greeted Coran, but when their eyes trailed to me, it widened. However, Lance just grinned at the sight of me.

"Look! There she is! She actually found Coran first before any of you visited her!" he argued to the four besides him, "Told you she's fine!"

The taller guy with a white streak on his dark hair sighs, "Even if she's okay physically, we must make sure she's comfortable with us."

I looked down my feet. It's weird when people are talking about me, or express some kind of concern for me. The feeling is indescribable.

Coran acknowledges their presences, "Everyone, please! I have something crucial to discuss."

Lance tilts his head, "Is this about miss (Y/N) here? For all I know, she hasn't any slightest clue what Voltron is."

Eyes were directed towards me. This made me cocoon myself even further. is Voltron something I should be aware of? This universe is confusing. Is this a weapon, some kind of power, or an organization led by these people? Or both?

"That's fine, right?" a big guy with dark skin inquired, "I mean, Voltron was known 10,000 years ago. It's probably known as a myth these days."

"Any absence of knowledge for Voltron is something that I can understand, but she..." Coran gestures at my form, "She doesn't have any clue about the Galra and the war."

I could hear a gasp, and maybe a slight 'what' come out of their mouths. There is a war ongoing? Maybe that's reasonable since the planet I crashed into is barren. But Galras...are the cause of this war?

The guy with the red jacket then walks up to me, "Where did you come from? Allura just picked you up out of nowhere, and now you're telling me that they haven't attacked you?"

I shook my head frantically. This line of questioning made me uneasy. Like I said, what answers would I give them, when I have nothing, to begin with? It truly boggles the mind of one, young person.

The white streaked man comes and puts a hand on the mullet person. "Keith, now is not the time to interrogate her. If she's not truly aware of the war, then there is another place wherein the Galra haven't conquered yet."

"That's a good thing, right?" the green one exclaimed, "Then that means there is still hope! Somewhere out there, is a safe place hidden from the Galras!"

I grimaced at the thought.

"No place is safe from war." I blurted out. My eyes widened when many of them looked at me in alert and confusion. I shook my hands, "Ah, i-it's nothing!"

"She's right..." 'Keith' sighs in his place, "The Galra have been conquering the universe for over 10,000 years. It's impossible that a planet is safe from them."

"But Earth is safe, isn't it? It's still free from Galra control?" the big one blurted out.

Wait...

"Earth...is safe?" I asked warily, "You mean...it's not conquered by any...fleet?"

"Well yeah, it's safe," he answered, "And I mean, our history consists a lot of conquering but...planet-wise, it's free from control."

"B-But..." I held my forehead in bafflement, "Earth is uninhabitable...nothing is supposed to survive there...what..."

They grew weary to my mumbles. The guy with the white streak tries to approach me.

"(Y/N) what do you mean nothing survives in Earth? Are you okay?"

No...I don't your comfort...I need answers.

I looked at them, "T-Tell me what time is it?"

"U-Um..." he scratches the back of his head, "Time gets pretty sidetracked when you're in space, but it's probably 2018 in Earth time."

2018?? That's...  _no, it can't be_...

"D-Do you know anything about the Orokin? The Corpus? Maybe the Grineer also?" I keep asking frantically. I need to know everything so that I could formulate  _something...anything_.

"We know nothing of what you speak of, miss (Y/N)." Coran explains calmly, hoping not to worsen the situation, "We don't know any clue of what race you're talking about."

"Then it's true..." I sighed deeply, "I don't belong here."

I had no idea how long 2018 was from where I came from, yet I cannot remember what space years it was already in the solar system. Perhaps there are some places in the universe that are yet to be explored. Just like these people, who were able to travel as far than I did.

Considering I had issues whenever I get further from home. But it was easy for me, because I never had a home to begin with.

"Excuse me, when you say you don't belong here, then does that mean the multiverse is real?" the petite one asked me. I looked at him confused. After learning how far technology can reach, maybe the multiverse does exist. Although, this kind of knowledge is too complicated for my simpleton mind.

"Everyone, let's not make her panic. Give her some space." the white streaked guy called out. He must've noticed that I wouldn't have any answers to begin with.

He then turns to me with a smile, "By the way, I am Shiro. I apologize for forgetting to introduce us."

He goes to the others, "This is Keith," he gestures to the mullet guy, who crosses his arms, "You may have already met Lance, of course," the said guy grins at me, "Hunk," the big guy who looked kind, yet nervous at the same time, "And lastly, Pidge." he points to the petite guy, who is still looking at me with curiousity. Probably still thinking about the multiverse thing, whatever.

"We are the Paladins of Voltron, although I am certain you haven't heard of us, given the...differences in culture."

Voltron always seems to be a big deal with this universe. While I am not knowledgeable about this Voltron business that they have, it's very interesting. Especially when they mentions being the 'defenders of the universe'. A mantle like that places a big burden, especially since there are just a few of them actively fighting for the cause, it seems.

Maybe they weren't much different as us Tenno, but we continue to fail and fail no matter how hard we try to bring peace in the system. Or is it because not all of us will fight for the cause, but because it's our way. It's what we are entrusted with.

I looked down my hand, the one with my amp in it. It's best to control my abilities for a while, lest they become suspicious of me. It's not wise to just burst yet. It needs time.

I looked up to them, "What is Voltron? Who...who are you fighting for?"

"Well, you know..." Pidge then walks up to me, "Big, giant space robot lions that combine into one big giant robot with cool powers and such. Said to be the most powerful weapon in the universe."

I tilted my head. Having that responsibility of wielding the most powerful weapon in the universe is dangerous, but I'm sure they know that. Most of them, probably.

"With Voltron, we protect those that are in need. We fight so that the Galra will not cause more harm to the universe." Shiro explains.

I touched my chin with my pointer finger and thumb, "So this universe...is at war."

"Yeah..." Hunk says sadly, "There are many that has befallen to the hands of the Galra. They're savage, conquering everything in the planet, hungry for power. Basically, scary people."

I grimaced at the thought. Savage and warfreaks like the Grineer, selfish and power hungry like the Corpus. The Galra are probably the worst of the two, yet the couldn't say anything yet, for she hasn't even met the Galra yet.

"What's going on?"

A heavily-accent voice of a woman caught my attention. Everyone looked at the door.

My eyes widened. _It's her..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: It's weird that child reader is matured for her age, but think as if she's 11 or 12. In wf, you are a child and you get trusted into war and now suddenly u have to kinda save the universe (when i mean, kinda save the universe, the tenno are free to do whatever tf they want, basically mercenaries). Also, a new Haikyuu short series is released. Just 5 pages cuz i want angst.


	7. princess

Allura's appearance turned the atmosphere into tensed. The paladins and Coran were waiting for YN's move. The girl doesn't react yet though, as she only looked away from the princess. If Shiro could guess, he could tell that she's filled with doubts.

The only thing he could offer her right now is an assurance that Allura wouldn't do anything to offend her. He trusted her to do the right thing, but it looks like anything could rile up YN at this moment. He was a little anxious, to say the least. He pats the child's shoulder from behind. When she looked up to him, he offered her a smile, "You're in good hands. No need to worry about anyhing."

The look that YN gave shiro shows that she still has little trusts towards them. Yet, even a child like her can understand that making good relationships with these people can ensure her survival. She nods slightly, and looks back to the princess.

Allura was shocked to see the child awake, and fortunately, well. As of now, she hasn't found anything that can help the child, nor her whereabouts. No books nor documents depict a certain ' _warframe_ ' that she mentioned about. Not even a single clue is not present. While she'd rather avoid to question her about those, the lingering curiousity about the mysterious topic and the potential to drive Galra away makes her giddy. Rather, she wanted to know why a child would know such a thing, or even own such a thing.

She coughed in her fist, and gave the child a genuine smile. She hoped that any form of unsettlement isn't here. Seeing as the paladins haven't done or said anything to drive her away, that would mean they would be gaining the trust slowly.

"It's finally good to see you well," Allura walks to the child, "I am Allura, and I am the princess of this castle. And you are?"

YN looks up the the Altean princess. She wears a blue dress, her hands are clasped in front. One defining feature she could observe is the pink V marks beneath her eyes. Her calm smile would've made her suspicious, wondering what intentions they want from her. Yet she doesn't want to think of the princess that way.

Compared to anything else, Allura is the reminiscent of what she desires the most.

"YN..." she answers, and bows afterwards, "I thank you for finding me in the wasteland out there."

Allura nods her head, "You have nothing to worry about, little one. It is our duty to save those who are in need."

If YN was naive, she would've reacted what a child would if they met their hero, or when a kid listens to a tale all about saving the world. She would've admired them like how a child normally would. But she couldn't feel anything afterwards. In fact, she felt sad that they were thrusted the burden to carry the universe's problems, because those warfreaks exists.

When YN was a naive child, she thought that her abilities would mean helping a good cause, and making the system a better place for the good. But what about the bad, when all they wanted was a home? She couldn't even say that the Corpus and the Grineer are bad people, and the same could be said for her departed masters.

"Saving the universe", in her opinion, are just another term for "contributing to this mess".

Although, commenting about the fact is offensive, as they laid down their life so that everyone can live peacefully. A fully conquered universe is an endless dystopia. Finding ways to prevent the evil cause before anything is delved into chaos. YN scolded herself in being so pessimistic about the abilities of her saviors. If they control the most powerful weapon, then they can handle it.

She hoped she could.

"This job you're leading...are you really doing this for the greater good?" she asks Allura.

Taken aback, Allura wanted to question her hesitance in facing them. Are they not really that trustworthy in the eyes of the child, or maybe she was untrusting in general?

Before she could answer, Keith stepped in, "This is not a job, kid. You doubt us too much."

"I...I'm sorry for offending anyone in this room." the girl waved her hands in front of her, hoping to calm the mullet boy down. Keith took a deep breath and sighed. He will be too reckless if he shouts at her. Luckily, he swallowed it. He can't help but not react swiftly when the girl still doubts their capabilities. And she's a child. Could she really understand what they're going through.

"Kid, you are in good hands." He explains, "We will not let the Galra catch after you if they're going after you. All you need to know is that we will save the universe from the hands of the Galra."

Guilt racing her mind, YN looked down. She wanted to apologize to them all. The feeling of burden when the fate of the universe is thrusted in your hands and had to carry those in your shoulders. Sacrifices are made so that they accomplish such feat, and it wasn't even guaranteed that they will succeed in the end. The thought itself almost made her shiver.

She just met then, but she wish they wouldn't fail with their journey.

Lance butts in when he notices her fidgeting on her place, "Keith, c'mon. Stop scaring her."

YN was somehow glad that Lance decided to save her from being uncomfortable with the unwanted reaction she got from Keith. He had a point though. Her question is unneeded right now.

Allura looks at the young girl in sympathy. After all, maybe the destruction of her homeland caused her to be untrusting towards strangers. She didn't trust the paladins at first, when they stumbled upon the castle for the first time, but time will only tell if her distrust will diminish towards them.

"Come, YN. I'd like to talk to you privately, in the library." she offered a hand to YN.

YN looked at the hand reached out in front of her. For a few seconds, she sighs and takes the hand, hoping that the crowd will dissipate when the princess is around

> She certainly needed a drink afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: A late uploaD!! i'm really sorry for he late upload. :((( me and my bf just broke up and i wasn't able to focus much in writing this, but to make up for this, ill be posting a log 2 featuring a crazy warframe dhdbdb.
> 
> (also, fun fact, reader is supposed to be older, like lance older, but duviri paradox came out, and i dont wanna break canon cuz i already did it with universe travelling and such dhdbdh


	8. log 2: hysteria

" _Do you see this, Tenno? Can you see how far my creations can reach? How big this will be? The investors would gladly be delighted to see that we have something that is on par of a Tenno's power._ _Feast your eyes, Tenno, for you won't have any of those anyway afterwards."_

_I remember seeing the Valkyr design and how she acts when her parts are saved by my brother. Long story short, she scared me. If it weren't for my brother, who explained what she is and her origin, all I felt is sympathy. Even for an inaninate frame, I always thought what would happen if a frame had a life._

_Maybe they do, but they're probably designed with the absence of free will, made to serve and please their masters._

_A fascinating warframe, she is. Valkyr is a peculiar frame. She seeks out for blood and her bloodthirst won't stop_. _Yet, fear is not what I feel for her, but pity. She's a warframe that was experimented and broken to pieces, with no hopes of being mended._

_Corpus should never make warframes if they wished to make the perfect ones. Instead, they broke a perfect warframe._

_Brother brought Valkyr to his orbiter and invited me there, hoping to discuss some stuff with me._

_I told him, while I feel pity for her, I didn't want anything to do with her. Why would I, when she's going to be controlled again, this time by me. I cannot place the suffering that she suffered again. I just wanted her to be free._

_"Valkyr is driven with madness, sister. It's time that we simmer it down."_

_While my brother had a point, it still won't get away from my mind if I ever placed her into being my puppet._

_"Take your time to decide, sister. But it's not the right time to think selfishly. Transference does not mean they become our puppets. They become us."_

_Brother left the scene when I stood at the foundry. I sighed. I put my hands on the blueprints for her parts._

_"You and me, we are the same. Aren't we? We never asked for this, yet here we are."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've b eEN FarMING FOR hARROW iTS SO paI N FU L
> 
> Also i dont like Mag Prime cosmetic-wise. Its sad, tbh, as she's one of my fave.


	9. special chapter-dog days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which the author wonders if de is drunk

Lance, in his swim trunks, spots (Y/N) crouching on the edge of the pool. She dips her palms in the water, doing little swirls as she observes her distorted reflection in the water. He chuckles when he looks at her wrinkled face, eyebrows almost touching each other.

Without warning, he sits next to her. He dips both of his legs in the water, having a slight shiver when he touched the cold water. Startled to the blue paladin's appearance, she looks up and sighs in relief.

"You stare at the water as if it's going to hurt you." Lance teases. His eyebrow raised when the girl removed her hand in the water and kept it on her lap.

"In our universe, it kinda did..." she answers solemnly. She won't admit that she would've loved to take a swim in the waters. She enjoyed fishing as much as she did the silence. Although, she couldn't get close the water as she never had a chance.

"Well, the water isn't hurting me right now, so it shouldn't hurt you, right?"

(Y/N) didn't react, but hummed. She's aware, that her universe is different from them. Yet, she keeps cautious around the water. Besides, she doesn't know how to swim.

Lance stood up, his hands on his hips, "You know what, I have an idea!"

Surprised, she looks up to him, "A what now?"

"Just sitting here is boring," Lance offers a hand towards the young girl, "How about we make use of the water without making you swim?"

"Is that even possible?" her head tilted in confusion, she takes his hands anyway.

"Oh, you will just learn the meaning of fun!" Lance carefully pulled her up to drag her somewhere.

(Y/N) was skeptical when she was pulled in his room, while he searches for something in his cabinet. It was awkward standing there, and no one is exchanging words to each other. It must be really fun when Lance is so focused on searching for this certain thing.

"Ah-a! Boo-ya!" Lance beamed as he takes out a colorful gun in his hand, "My precious artifact!"

She walks behind Lance to observe the...funny gun? While she did see many weird weapons in the past(one that looked strangely like...a sexual toy), it still surprised her to see a gun that looked too fake to be a real one.

He turns to the curious girl and lifts up the gun, "This is a squirt gun! We will use this so that you don't have to swim in the pool."

"Do I hurt people with this?"

"Technically, you don't. You only just shoot people in the face with water."

"But isn't shooting people technically...hurting them?"

Lance rubbed his cheek, "I mean, water doesn't hurt, so it won't kill."

(Y/N) observes the water rifle given to her. There is no ammo inside, but it's probably because it hasn't been used for a while. Tapping the trigger many times, she gazes at Lance.

"So, what are we supposed to do then?"

"A water fight!" Lance yells excitedly, standing up with his own water rifle in his arms, "Think of it as a battlefield, but instead, no one dies"

' _how in the world_ -' but (Y/N) to not question his ideas. She learned that nothing is disappointing when she and Lance do something 'fun'. It's a little childish play that she missed during her childhood.

"So we shoot with water?" (Y/N) still had many questions when they are walking back to the pool. Lance nods excitedly. He cannot wait to show the young girl the missing childhood she deserved to have.

Reaching to the pool, he sighs in relief. He doesn't mind entertaining her questions, but sometimes (Y/N) gets too exaggerating for her own good. He reloaded both weapons and threw a gun to her.

"I know you said we're gonna have fun, but--" her sentence is unfinished when her face is pelted with water. Startled, her face fumed.

"I wasn't ready!"

"Well ya ain't stoppin', so somehow had to!"

Lance's laughter motivated (Y/N) to pull up her rifle. She may be a child, but that doesn't mean her sharpshooting skills are bad. And for one, she isn't backing down in this one.

His waves of laughter were stopped when he felt water splat him hard, almost knocking him off his balance. He wipes his face to see the smirking face of a young girl.

"Oh, I will show you the best marksman in this team!"

Their supposedly little water fight turned into a pretty brutal one where Lance almost falls into the water and (Y/N) slipping off her feet due to the watery floor. Nonetheless, all is fun. Both of them are laughing hard, which is rather rare. (Y/N) hardly laughs, so it makes Lance proud that he makes her laugh this hard.

Yet, all is abruptly stopped when a certain mullet haired boy came in the room, without his jacket.

"Lance, you--" Keith's sentence is stopped when his shirt is shot by the latter.

When Keith walks in to find the blue paladin, he didn't expect his shirt to get pelted by water, especially from the paladin himself. He looked at his shirt, eyes widened. Fuming, he walks up to the perpetrator.

When Lance finds out he's doomed, he looks at (Y/N), "Oh god, (Y/N)! We nust eliminate the boss!"

Panicking herself, she obeyed Lance's orders. Soon they pelted poor Keith with liquid.

Finally having enough of their antics, Keith shouts, "You guys are dead!"

The whole day is consisted of Keith dodging the incoming fire and chasing the two of them while the two runs from him. By then, Keith is slightly laughing himself, because this is a nice change of pace because of the war ongoing.

Seeing (Y/N) having fun made everything worth it, especially when they're caught both by Allura and Shiro, and were reprimanded as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Solely based on the event in warframe. if you olay warframe, you know what i mean.


	10. untold stories

" _No! Sister, don't do this! If you even go to that thing, you'll be in great danger! We don't even know what it's capable of. I demand you to stop that immediately"_

YN shook her head from the small reoccurring memories she receives. Her fully conscious self is finally giving her the idea of how she has gotten here. Even if she finds the familiar maternal comfort with Allura, she couldn't fully trust her yet. The only person she could trust is the one that talked to her directly. Yet, she couldn't even fully trust Lance.

Besides, Allura might need her for something. After all, anyone could be interested in her abilities. Although, none of them are aware of what her abilities are. 

Allura, on the other hand, felt her hands sweating. She wanted to go somewhere private. She doesn't want to hide anything from the paladins, but the young girl will not speak if anyone is in the room. She needed information, whether it be about the Galra or not. However, it wasn't by selfish means. Her concern is true. All she needed is a headstart so that she can be brought to her home safely.

God forbid if the multiverse is messed up, everything in existence will be in peril.

"We are here, please do come in." Allura turns to (Y/N), who looked up to her when her name was called. She gave a nod back, following the princess inside.

She could feel her gaze behind her back. The princess rubs her palms and coughs on her fist.

When the door is closed, Allura turns to the young girl and smiles, "Let's take a seat, and we shall talk."

(Y/N) followed her order, taking a seat on the couch by the fireplace. Allura sits on the small couch next to the fireplace, crossing her legs.

Before she could even begin, (Y/N) starts to panic a bit, "Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I can assure I don't want anything f--"

She only stops when the princess raised her hand to stop her, "We won't acquiring anything from you nor do we want anything from you. I just need to know where you came from and how."

She looks down on her lap, fingers fidgeting to each other. She was nervous because she almost had nothing to say. Her memories are thin prior to coming here, yet she did remember her brother, warning her.

"I don't know, I just--" she says frantically, "I remember that...my brother he..."

Allura was looking at the girl with assurance. She did not need to rush. She wanted to tell it, but she was stopped when the girl continued.

"...he told me that I shouldn't go after something. Maybe I didn't listen, so I got here--of course I didn't, I mean, I wouldn't be in here if I listened but--"

(Y/N) sighs instead. There wasn't any progress in her memories coming. All she did remember was her brother, Zhen. She vaguely remembered his look when she pursued her journey, but she is aware that he's scared. For her.

When she talks about Zhen, it's like discussing how metamorphosis works. His mind has always been about doing what benefits them, yet he couldn't care about the impact. His decisions may have kept the Zariman children safe, but he has always been morally ambiguous. No one could ever read him but (Y/N), for they grew up together. Many disagreed with his plight, but none could deny that his actions had saved many of them.

To anyone else, he has great ambitions. An opportunist. He takes what he can get, yet he never fails to share what he has to his friends. This is a trait that (Y/N) is jealous of. 

"--the thing is, I don't remember anything after that, but I do know that I need to find my ship, yet I don't have any clue where it is..."

Allura nods her head. The rambling didn't make sense, but she did know that her arrival might be an accident, or is it intended? Right now, the priority is to find her ship and get her back to her home.

"Do not fret, young one, we will get you home by no time."

(Y/N) shook her head. She couldn't go back, and her insides tell her that she shouldn't. There is a purpose because she wouldn't just get to this universe without any reason. She has to remember why. She always followed Zhen, so why did she not this time?

Allura raises her eyebrow in confusion, "Why not?"

"I had a feeling that something is coming..." (Y/N) explains, her eyebrows scrunched, "...something that might threaten your galaxy."

Allura's eyes widened. She leaned back in shock after hearing the news. The Galra had always been a threat to them, and they couldn't handle a big army of them. If there's something more that would be a threat, then this will be a massive problem.

"I...I know that the one that might threaten your galaxy is an enemy of the Tenno, but we have a lot of enemies, and it could be one of them."

Allura scratched her chin, "If that's so, then we must find out what that enemy is."

(Y/N) moved her legs together. She's been fidgeting the whole time she's explaining everything towards Allura. She wanted to do this alone. They already helped her enough. All she had to do is to find her orbiter and defeat the enemy, then go back to her galaxy. But without knowing what this universe offers, she didn't know what to do. She has no choice. She needed the help she could get.

"This could be dangerous, you know. We still don't what we might be facing. We have many enemies, and I couldn't remember who. Are you sure about this?"

Allura nods in assurance, "Trust me. We will face this together. We couldn't have a threat wander around the universe."

She sighs. That went easy. She was able to talk to Allura and not ramble a lot. However, she must also talk to the other paladins about the incoming danger they may...no, WILL face.  
  
  
  
  


 

 

Coran had to watch over their destination while Allura takes care of business with the young fellow. No Galra were seen in the empty galaxy, and they don't have any plans for now.

Suddenly, a purple rock hit the glass. Luckily, the glass received no damage, but it surprised Coran. Rubbing his forehead, he stirred the ship into a different direction.

Yet, there are more rocks on the way. But this time, Coran was able to observe more closely. Those weren't rocks, but they are debris. In his confusion, he decided to investigate further. It's no stranger to seeing a destroyed ship, but it still made him curious.

He followed where debris floated from. He can tell that more debris meant he was near.

Yet the nearer he was, he was able to see the large...ship? Fleet? It was destroyed and he couldn't see any survivors. It was impossible, the whole ship had almost nothing left.

But then, a sudden realization made Coran filled him with horror

It was a galra fleet.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


\--Earlier, in the Star chart--

"SHIT!"

A boy with light, blonde hair slammed his fists on the wall. His face is sweating in agony, his body shaking, and he couldn't seem to think clearly. His eyes are narrowed. He's breathing really heavily.

"No no no no no---"

His chanting echoed his orbiter. He couldn't believe it as the wormhole closed and there is no way he could get in.

"Operator Zhen, your heartbeat is--"

"I don't need this right now!" he shouts in immense irritation. He snaps his head on the side, gritting his teeth, "My sister, my family, she---"

"The operator isn't thinking rationally, so I suggest---"

"Shut up!"

He couldn't deal with his cephalon's comments or any bullshit right now, so he goes to his quarters, hoping that he could come up with an impossible plan.


	11. quiche

_"I can bear any pain as long as it has meaning."_  
_-Haruki Murakami_

 

\---

  
"Lord Zarkon, I bring grave news."

A galra soldier kneeled on the floor. He couldn't look up as he dreads the news to his master. The possibility of being killed too didn't sound the best. The tapping of his lord's fingers meant that he's getting rather impatient. He doesn't like bad news.

"And what might this news be?"

The soldier gulps, "A-A galra fleet has been spotted destroyed. We have lost their coordinates."

Zarkon sighed in exasperation. It looks like Voltron had finally struck. They fancy themselves as heroes, that's for sure. It left a bad taste in his tongue.

"I suspected Voltron may be behind this. Search for their location, and we strike," he orders.

The soldier looks up, and blurts out, "Lord Zarkon, we don't think Voltron is behind their destruction."

Zarkon would've almost burst out in irritation, but he knew he shouldn't act impulsively. That's his lesson in this war. His instinct told him to listen to this soldier before he actually ordered his punishment.

"Do not waste my time, what could possibly take down our forces other than those 'Voltron paladins'?"

"We have proof, sir." the soldier, while still shaken up to the visible irritation of his master, still explained, "We are able to answer their distress signal, and they didn't mention about the lions."

Zarkon raises his eyebrows.

"They said that these...forces...ambushed from the inside, and took all of them out in minutes."

"I don't need a story of their demise. Just get on with it."

"Y-Yes, sir." he salutes, "They said they were robots who are white and gold, some shoot lasers and the others fight with their blades. Yet, they couldn't weaken them."

Zarkon rubbed his chin in wonder. An enemy force with strong power? By then, he knew that they are in the highest height of their power, but that itself isn't enough. There will never be enough when it comes to achieving power.

Haggar looks to Zarkon, "I believe that with enough quintessence, we can take advantage. I just need to know these...robot's weaknesses."

The soldier wanted to argue back, but he's smart enough to not question the witch's intentions. While it seemed impossible for them to track down the robots, there would be a time where they have to do so. Just the thought of it made him shiver.

If these robots can eliminate a whole fleet, what more could they destroy if there were thousands of them out there?

Zarkon, however, didn't seem to have the same idea. He cannot let Haggar waste their quintessence if a whole fleet alone couldn't defeat them. His fleet must've been a fool to provoke those beings. He's not a fool to charge into battle unprepared.

"We cannot waste the quintessence if our invasion fails. However, let's drive our focus of the war to those beings." Zarkon says.

Haggar, though irritated, countered back, "How are you sure that your plan would work?"

"We have no information about them, and they will be a bigger threat if we do not investigate any further."

"And what about Voltron?"

Zarkon gripped the armchair of his throne. While he didn't seem to like the idea himself, he doesn't have any choice. If he was going to divert his attention to something else, then he needs someone to take charge against Voltron.

"I'll have my son, Lotor, to deal with their mess."  
  
  
  


_Cetus. She always loved Cetus. The inhabitants would go on with their daily lives. Children all over the market or the sea playing around, vendors in the market ushering them to buy their stuff(often she would stop to look at the trinkets, but wouldn't buy them anyway), adults working hard. It's a simple life._

_Despite the grineer infesting the plains outside Cetus, they managed to adapt with it._

_Her brother brought her here to for a mission, but she wasn't paying attention to what. As he speaks to the man giving them orders, she decides to look around. She did like the shiny, golden spoons some vendor was selling. They're quite unique._

_She has yet to adjust with the life she was thrust into the moment she woke up from her long dream. She wasn't used with walking to her own two feet compared to her warframe._

_"Ya see something ya like, Lil' miss?" the vendor speaks out. He has observed her, and it bugged him she wasn't doing anything._

_Startled, she returned the spoon back, "A-Ah, these spoons, they're...pretty."_

_He scratched his nape in reply, "Aw, you don't have t_ _o say that, they're not really that important."_

_She looks back at the utensil. The world around her is still too much to comprehend. It gives her a headache most of the time, but she let it be. She didn't want to worry her brother when he's always around her. His persistence in taking care of her can burden his missions, and she despises that._

_She wants to protect him as much as he protects her._

_"But they're useful, are they not?"_

_"Um, yeah...sure, but--"_

_"Then you cannot change my mind."_

_The vendor is surprised by her words. It's not always that someone would be so fascinated to seeing something so...mediocre. Even a child wouldn't see anything special about a spoon, but her curiosity intrigued him. So he smiled._

_"You Tenno sure are an interesting bunch," he whispers in his lips._

_While the girl didn't hear him, she did hear her brother calling her._

_"I need to go, mister! It's nice seeing you." she hurriedly runs off to her brother._

_"Ah, wait!" the vendor is too late to make her come back. He sighs._

_He really did want to give the spoon to her for free_.  
  
  
  
  
  


"You don't have to watch me cook, (Y/N). It kinda makes me nervous, you know?"

Hunk is surprised to see the child seating on the counter, cross-legged. She is behaved most of the time, as he observed. However, she gets a little erratic to certain instances that would trigger her, so he's nervous to pull the trigger.

Besides, it's his first time with her alone. What would happen if she suddenly pulls out a knife and stabs him?

(Y/N) tilts her head, "Why are you nervous?"

He shakes his head. Why is he even thinking that she could be seeking their harm all along? Her curiosity is sincere. It's time he feeds it, apparently.

"No, it's nothing, just..." he looks at her, "Don't you always watch other people work?"

"I always see everyone work, but they never fail to fascinate me on how they work." she nods her head.

"I don't know, work is kinda boring, you know?" Hunk replies.

She blinks her eyes, "It is?"

"I mean, it depends!" Hunk waves his hands, "There are those that enjoy their work, and some don't."

(Y/N) rubbed her head. All her life she spent fulfilling her duties, and she never really complained. Work is a part of her life because it's the only thing she's fit in.

Hunk smiled. She's a peculiar kid, and it's really interesting.

"Don't fret around with it, kid. Even I don't understand adult stuff--well maybe, sometimes, but they're weird."

(Y/N) comes off the counter, placing her chin to the counter next to the one Hunk is working in. This action jolted him a bit, as he isn't expecting her to move so quickly. He didn't mind, though.

"What are you making?"

"Oh," Hunk answers, "I'm not really sure, but I'm just experimenting with the ingredients the castle has. Will probably make a quiche, or something."

"What's a quiche?"

Hunk sputters out, "What?! You've never had a quiche in your life?"

(Y/N) shakes her head in reply.

"Well then, get ready for the best quiche in your life, cuz imma make one for you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: IM SO LATE EJJEJD. HUNK IS OOC, EVERYHING IS CHAOS DJSn. but here is a slightly longer chapter before the action starts


	12. help warranted

If there was one thing Lotor dreaded the most, it is to face his father during his banishment.

He rubbed his temples in exhaustion. Most of the time, he handled his improvements well and has been mastering his diplomatic skills at the time he is MIA. He understood that his father didn't like him one bit, and he has grown wary towards the old hag. He always avoided having to meet them frequently. He was becoming a pro about it.

However, he wasn't expecting his father calling him immediately to handle the Paladin's affairs. It seems something much more important came up to the Lord Zarkon that he decided that his full attention must be focused into it. Lotor isn't much aware about it. All he honestly cared about is to get the job done.

And also overtake his father's position. But at this moment, that didn't seem significant.

Lotor is glad that his generals took upon themselves to be with him during the journey to his father's throne room. While he would've handled their conversations...professionally, it doesn't hurt to have company. Especially when those most loyal to Lord Zarkon is wary to the prince.

Acxa, as observant as she is, noticed the prince in his disgruntled state. He was most likely overthinking the situation again. She placed a hand on his shoulder, sporting a worried gaze towards him.

"Are you alright, my prince?"

Lotor didn't look back, but his reply, "I am quite well.", lets her know to drop the subject.

He kept his composure, yet his mind wandered all around. As a prince and of royal status, he must keep his head high. Never hesitate. Never hold back in the face of danger.

"Prince Lotor." A galran guard acknowledges his presence. Yet, he did not bow to the prince. It was sad, when he's not even worthy in the eyes of his father's forces. He might prove himself, this time.

"The king grants us an audience?" he could hear the words of Ezor behind him, "This is a nice change of pace!"

"A big surprise, considering of how the prince is last one that Lord Zarkon would ever pick." Zethrid huffs, "Unless, you know, Lord Zarkon only called him just to nag him in front of his subjects."

"I wouldn't want that, to be embarrased like that. I feel bad for Prince Lotor."

"You're quite the loud talker, Ezor." Lotor sighs, but he couldn't agree more.  
  
  
  
  
  


_"Margulis did not lie to you, she protected you..." Zhen mutters in his breath, wiping his mouth with his arm, "My fucking ass."_

_Y/N sits cross-legged on the rock in the plains. She watched as the sun slowly sets, her eyes somebered. Zhen paces on his feet, standing a few meters from the rock. She could sense immense irritation overflowing his veins. She couldn't speak, nor could she act._

_Zhen is frantic in his actions, his emotions slowly loosening._

_"I should've known...that these huge secrets lingered in our veins..." he grits his teeth, "Yet we are so blindly following orders without harnessing our true potential..."_

_After the revelation of what they could truly become, the children of the void, the Tenno were having mixed emotions._ _Y/N couldn't think straight, nor could she really tell what she's feeling. Anger? Confusion? Betrayal? It's like those emotions were merged into one._

_Zhen brought her out in the Plains of Eidolon, without the prying eyes and ears of both the Lotus and Ordis. It was a rare occassion for them to spend time without any company present. She was satisfied, however, that she could bask in the presence of her brother._

_Y/N looks up to her brother. She watched as his hand rub the nape of his neck frantically, all the way up his blonde hair. She was all too worried to see him worked up like this. Yet she couldn't blame him for this._

_After all, he is a born rebel, even during their childhood days._

_"I haven't seen you like this for a long time." she turned her attention to her fidgeting fingers._

_Zhen stops his pacing, and looks back to her. He couldn't shake of his anger, yet he couldn't turn his anger to his sister._

_"Like what? Like an animal chained in its collar?"_

_"Like a lost child, after he lost his parents."_

_Zhen went quiet for a few minutes. Then, he looks at the sun setting._

_"You are observant, yet you are naive." Zhen concluded, "You don't what to feel, perhaps. Or is it the circumstances too complicated for you to understand?"_

_"You are now awfully calm...not like what you are earlier."_

_He scoffed, leaning back on the rock and crossing his arms, "The Tenno were mutated, made into fighters, thrown into the world with one thing in mind. Destiny."_

_"We don't have a home. Just the warm, comforting arms of our mother. We choose who to help, where to begin. Yet, how could I continue, when the past is brought up?" Zhen resumed._

_Y/N tilted her head, "Is the past oh-so-sensitive to your very being?"_

_"It is something I would rather forget." he answered briefly._

_She wasn't at ease. She couldn't truly understand his conflict. Towards the Lotus. She wanted to see the bigger picture. Something her brother saw what she could not. He made everything complicated as it should not be._

_"Maybe the past...isn't meant to be forgotten, brother..." she lamented in her seat, "I can still see...what Margulis made, and I could still remember her words."_

_Zhen faced me, his eyebrows wrinkled. The look he gave me, as he knew he wanted more from me._

_"You believed what Margulis did was rightfully necessary."_

_"It was what's done, and I have no say in this matter." I hissed slightly._

_Zhen sighed, "I wouldn't blame you, for you were closer to her than the other children. However,_ _I don't want you to pick sides."_

_"Margulis taught_ _me that secrets are meant to be hidden for a reason." Y/N bit her thumb, "Yet I can't understand the need to protect us."_

_"It's fear."_

_Zhen could understand why Margulis had to do it. She knew the Orokin more than them. Intelligent as they are, they are still predictable in his eyes. They were made to become warriors, and in turn, found a home. Not a home the two expected, but it is better than nothing._

_"They feared our strength. The Orokin are nothing but_ _people in their high horses, ready to be trampled by."_   
  
  
  


"I have no idea why you decided to choose me against Voltron, considering you pride yourself in handling them quite efficiently."

Lotor crosses his arms. He is appalled to hear that his father, the one that shunned him, had asked for his assistance in their war against Voltron. Lord Zarkon is holding up his pride, yet he couldn't understand why his father needed him.

"What has gotten to you?" he continued to question further, "You have a sheer number of forces that can handle your orders, yet you turn to me instead?"

Lord Zarkon grunted. Following the banishment of his son, bringing him back made his subjects question his decision. Most of them are not pleased, but what can they do, now that they have two enemies that can be up to par to them.

"Choosing you isn't meant to be an option." Lord Zarkon answered, "You are merely the last possibility."

Lotor huffed in his breath. It hurt a bit, knowing Zarkon wouldn't enlist his help if he had any choice, but he's here now.

"You are here to take care with crushing Voltron, while I turn my attention to...a personal business. I expect you to follow accordingly."

Lotor released his crossed arms, eyebrows furrowed, "While I am amused that I am enlisted, if you don't mind me asking, what is this 'personal business', if you don't mind me asking?"

"Personal bussiness." Zarkon relented, "This will not concern you."

"I am your son." Lotor gritted his teeth, "I demand--"

"You are in no position to make demands." Zarkon roared.

"Why is it that you wouldn't tell me? Is it because you are afraid that your endevour will fail--"

"Do not make me regret my decision, Lotor." Zarkon finally snapped.

Lotor stopped his interrogation. His hands balled into fists. He kept eye contact with his father despite the warning. It's not wise to fight against Zarkon at the moment, but he isn't going to back down with the intimidation.

"You will be the one to lead alomlng with your rag tag team." Zarkon exclaimed, "I will not tolerate any failures."

Lotor answered, "You have my word."

Zarkon nods in understanding.

"Good. Now you may leave."

Lotor sighs and turns around. He beckoned his generals to follow him.

When the young prince left, Zarkon leaned back and let out a big sigh. Sometimes the boy can be a big pain. He's thankful that he follows orders, but he shouldn't let his guard down. After all, the young prince is after the throne.

Zarkon understood the cost of too much power. It wasn't pleasure that awaits in the end, but it's more likely a corruption. It is an aphrosidiac. He hoped Lotor understood that, and he was right to hide his ascension towards the empire.

"You are hard on the young prince." Haggar said on his side. She was oddly quiet as the two bantered with each other. Maybe she caught amusement with their argument, but she never expressed it herself.

Zarkon hummed in reply. Now that business is done, he can finally focus his attention to the attacks of those...mysterious beings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hi, its me again. I deeply apologize for the really delayed updates. I've been in a rough patch lately, and I got really busy. I know that isn't much, but I will make it up to you all by writing longer chapters. Considering it's now my break, I can finally do the Sentient reveal.
> 
> I haven't really played warframe in a while, as I stopped during the Old Blood update. My computer broke and all, so yeah ://
> 
> But anyways, thank you for still sticking up until this chapter! I really appreciate it! Bye


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